With reference to FIG. 1, packet switched networks (such as the Internet or a managed private internet 10) are being used to route voice telephone calls. Generally, this is known as voice-over-packet telephony, which includes, but is not limited to, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). One of the advantages of voice-over-packet telephony is the ability for remote users to access the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 20 through their company's home telecommunication switch.
Various types of Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) are available for end users to participate in voice-over-packet telephony, e.g., an IP telephone, which may be a hardphone or a softphone running on a laptop computer or other like platform. For example, FIG. 1 shows a typical case where a user, in a remote location or geographic region 30 (e.g., Cleveland, Ohio), is using a softphone running on a laptop computer 40 to engage in voice-over-packet telephony. The computer 40 is connected over the Internet 10 back to the user's home location or geographic region 32 (e.g., Phoenix, Ariz.), e.g., back to the user's office or normal place of business. Accordingly, access to the PSTN 20 is achieved via the user's company home switch 50 (e.g., a class 5 switch such as the Lucent Technologies 5ESS or another like switch).
The foregoing is a beneficial arrangement since other callers can reach the user by dialing their normal office telephone number. Similarly, calls made by the remote user appear to come from the user's normal office telephone number, e.g., such that the normal office telephone number is displayed on the called party's caller-ID, if available. The user may also be able to utilize PBX (Private Branch eXchange) and/or Centrex features supported at their home office or home switch 50. This arrangement, however, can present certain problems for handling emergency calls, such as 911 calls.
As is known in the art, the PSTN 20 includes mechanisms for directing certain calls, such as an emergency 911 call, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Commonly, different PSAPs serve different geographic regions. PSAP 60, for example, serves region 30, while PSAP 62, serves region 32. Accordingly, when a PSAP receives a 911 call, the corresponding regional safety officials or first responders (e.g., fire department, police, ambulance, etc.) can be called or mobilized as deemed appropriate for the circumstances. It is, therefore, desirable that 911 calls get routed to the PSAP serving the geographic region in which the calling party is currently located so that a proper response to the 911 call can be quickly and readily coordinated.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, if the remote user located in region 30 were to make a 911 call, it would appear to the PSTN 20 that the 911 call was originating from region 32 insomuch as the PSTN 20 was being access via the user's company home switch 50. Absent suitable provisioning otherwise, the 911 call would be undesirably routed to the PSAP 62 serving the region 32, rather than to the PSAP 60 serving the region 30 where the user is currently located.
Accordingly, a new and improved system and/or method for handling voice-over-packet emergency calls is disclosed that overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.